The rapid evolution of communication technology is causing wireless communication to infiltrate into all aspects of society. Further to emerging advanced communication devices such as smart phones, some existing applications that did not commonly feature the ability to interact via electronic communication are now gaining this functionality. For example, many vehicles possess the ability to interact with operators, riders, other vehicles, vehicle support systems, etc. via wired or wireless communication. Most commonly, operators and/or riders may access smart vehicle systems for consuming multimedia content, accessing navigation or other directional systems, accessing networks such as a local area-network (LAN) or a wide-area network (WAN) like the Internet, etc. However, these user-level interactions are merely the beginning of how electronic communications are being integrated into vehicular systems.
The technology that controls the operation of automobiles is moving from traditional mechanical-based systems to electronic control. These electronic controls systems not only control the operation of modern cars, but may also be able to store data related to operation. For example, automobile speed, force reaction due to cornering, operator system access (e.g., turn signal use, entertainment system use, cellular communication system use, etc.) may all be tracked and recorded by the car's control system. Currently this information may be used principally for vehicle maintenance. However, soon it may be possible to identify the vehicle operator and/or passengers at the time vehicular operational data is recorded. This capability may desirable to various entities including, for example, insurance companies, governmental bodies (e.g., law enforcement, rule-making bodies, etc.), organizations that publish vehicle-related statistics, etc. While societal benefits may exist for making vehicular data available, a scenario wherein operator/vehicle data is freely disseminated to parties (known or unknown to a vehicle operator) introduces substantial privacy concerns that may impact its acceptance.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.